6 November 2009

KUALA LUMPUR - Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (“P1”), one of the world’s leaders in 4G WiMAX, is cementing its position as the undisputed 4G WiMAX leader in Southeast Asia by notching up yet another important win in a long list of industry milestones with its do first, talk later corporate attitude.

P1 has recently announced that it is now awaiting confirmation from WiMAX Forum – an industry-led, organization formed to certify and promote broadband wireless products based on WiMAX – of its appointment into the forum’s Board of Directors (BOD). If confirmed, P1’s appointment into the WiMAX Forum BOD would mean that, for the first time ever, Malaysia will play a critical role in shaping the future of 4G wireless broadband. For the record, no other incumbent telco in Malaysia, WiMAX or otherwise, have been bestowed such an important role within the telecommunications world.

"We’ve received word that we have been recommended by our peers within the 4G world to be on the board of WiMAX Forum and for such a young company, this is indeed an achievement by itself. The board will have to deliberate the recommendation based on our contribution to the 4G world and judging by what we’ve done so far, I have a strong feeling that the outcome will be a positive one,” said Michael Lai, CEO, P1.

If confirmed, P1 will be the first and only Malaysian representative on the board as well as the first and only representation for the region in shaping the future of WiMAX and 4G. This firmly establishes Malaysia as a key regional and global WiMAX hub in speeding up the uptake and evolution of broadband and beyond.

“The appointment into the WiMAX Forum BOD would be a significant milestone not just for P1, but also for Malaysia where together, we will be able to shape the future of WiMAX and 4G around the world. More significantly, Malaysia is now a recognized and true regional and worldwide WiMAX hub. This recommendation also underlines our contribution towards the evolution and proliferation of wireless broadband through WiMAX.” Lai added.

This recent development comes in conjunction with P1’s pursuit to make high-quality broadband a right and no longer a luxury by introducing the region’s first ever WiMAX prepaid plan – the W1GGY Prepaid.

“While some local WiMAX players talk about their future plans, P1 has already brought the future to Malaysians. This is just the beginning and P1 will stay true to our promise of delivering Broadband for All. Speaking of bringing the future, our close development work with Intel will bear fruit and P1 will be the first WiMAX operator in the region to market on a mass scale, WiMAX Forum certified Intel embedded notebooks and netbooks in Malaysia. This will definitely transform the broadband game in the country and take it to the next level!” Lai concluded.

WiMAX Forum is expected to make an announcement on the appointment of its latest BOD members next week.

P1’s list of milestones includes many firsts. The key milestones are as below:

Leader in WiMAX Devices:
P1 did not wait for other manufacturers to develop devices but instead forged ahead by developing and marketing its own range of devices including amongst some of the world’s most advanced fixed wireless and portable modems. These highly acclaimed, award winning devices are currently being used by other WiMAX operators around the world. P1 is on track with its original coverage targets, as it plans to cover 45% of West Malaysia’s population by 2010, and 65% of the country’s population by 2012.

Leader in WiMAX Coverage:
P1 W1MAX is the second largest 2.3GHz WiMAX deployment in the world (the largest being in South Korea). With over 30% of West Malaysia’s population covered, P1 currently holds the accolade of Malaysia’s largest WiMAX network. In addition, P1 is the only WiMAX player to have acquired permission to deploy WiMAX in the whole of Malaysia, including East Malaysia.

Leader in WiMAX Subscribers:
P1 has Malaysia’s largest WiMAX subscriber base with over 100,000 nett subscribers to date. P1 is the leader in WiMAX subscription plans, with its wide variety of plans available for all Malaysians.
P1 is the first and only operator to deploy WiMAX nationwide in Singapore. Rollout in Singapore is slated to begin next year.
P1 will be the first WiMAX telco in Malaysia to market on a mass scale 2.3Ghz Intel embedded notebooks and netbooks.
P1 introduced the region’s first WiMAX prepaid plan with WIGGY Prepaid.
P1 is working closely with SIRIM and MIMOS to further propagate WiMAX certification through the WiMAX Forum Certification lab that will be opening in Malaysia.